Ball-bearing.



PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907 P. W. GURNEY.

BALL BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, 1905. RENEWED FEB. 4, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

3n uaul'oz C1 Home No. 845,632. PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907. P. W. GURNEY.

BALL BEARING.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 27, 1905. RENEWED FEB.4, 1907.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

3111mm m 1 plane-through its axis of rotation.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. GURNEY,'OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK.

BALL-BEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907- Application filed March 27, 1905. Renewed February 4, I l.90 7. Serial No. 355,732.

assembling and holding in place the constitu ent par ts of ball-bearings, and has for its objects the producing of a high degree of accu-. racy of adjustment or fit between the parts, an ncreased iacilityin assembling the parts, and an increase in. antitrictional eiticiency.

In the accompanying drawin s, Figure l is a plan view showing one of my earings with parts removed for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a healing cutin .a Fig. 3 is a detail sketch showing the usual manner of inserting the balls. Fig. 4 is a detail showing the construction of the ball-spacers. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 show how the principal featwo of my invention may be applied to amodified construction to accomplish the same results. 7 Fig. 5 also shows a slight modification in the construction of my ball-spacer.

Fig. 7 shows the reverse side of one of the rin Fhe outer ring 1 has an internal groove or ball-race 3. The inner ring has an external groove or ball-race 4. Between these two grooved race-rings run the balls 5.

It has hitherto been thepractice tomake the race-rings, of whatever type or design, of-

a simple steel construction turning and grinding the fsteel rings to the desired size, shape, and fit. In producing ball-bearings of hi h efiiciency it is of great importance to ma e the parts with a very high degree of accuracy,- working, it possible, to the ten-thousandthjof aninch. To grind to such a degree of precision as this is exceedingly costly, necessitating pricesthat are practically prothis high degree ofaccuracy and by a means that is not costly. I secure my exact fit not entirely by grinding, but principally by the employment of a backing of soft and easilyfusible metal which I castonto my racerings, securing to them a fit that is practiw cally exact and doing away with the necessity of the extreme accuracy of grinding, which is so costly and is not so accurate as my cheaper Way.

The numeral 6 indicates the soft-metal backing.cast to the rings. To secure the backinglmore firmly to the steel bodies of the rings, t e latter are grooved, as 7 7, thus anchoring the soft metal onto the hard and making solid integral rings.

The steel body of one of m race-rings is ordinaiily not a solid ring. t is essential that at least one of the two rings of abearing hibitive. I In my improved hearing I realize be made with a joint or cleft to permit adjustment. I usually make this cleft. as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, making a spring-ring but I accomplish exactly the same results by.

splitting the ring flatwise through the center of the ball-race, as shown in Fig. 5. The object of these clefts is not only to secure adthe balls. v

In Fig. 3 is shown the manner of inserting the balls'where I employ the spring-ring. Before casting on the backing the springring is sprung open near its cleft enough to admit the balls, the block 9 being inserted to hold the ring open while the balls are being inserted. When the balls have been inserted thus, the block 9 is removed and the cleft steel ring s rings together again: It is obvious that either the outer or. inner ring may be cleft and sprung for the admission of the balls. The outer ring being the larger is preferred for this urpose; but there are places where it is re erred to cleave and spring the The soft instability, but also to permit the insertion of and'the cleft-ring is thus made a solid and continuous ring. The balls are securely retained in their races and cannot be lost out.

It can be easily seen that by this construction I can easily obtain a very high degree of accuracy. In grinding the raceegrooves 3 and 4 I grind them to a fairde'gree of accuracy, but do not go to the expense of grindtouches the balls all around, and we have a ingthem to the degree of accuracy that a bearing of high efliciency should have. I grind the outer race 3 with the cleft 8 held a little open. When the balls have been in.- serted, as described above the fit between the outer and inner ring and the intervening balls is probably not quite exact; but what little is lacking of a perfect fit I eliminate by springing the cleft-ring. If the space between the outer and inner rings is alittle greater than the size of the balls, the ringis sprung in until it touches the balls all around, and if the s ace is less the balls themselves s ring the c oft-ring out. The ring is sprung either out or in, as the-case may be, until it practically perfect fit as between races and balls. This having been secured, I now cast the soft-metal backing 6 onto the outer ring, and this exact fit is made ermanent and unchangeable. This exact t of the races cannot be disturbed, and not only have. I secured a perfect fit of the races, I have given .to the outside of the ring a definite sure.

like rings all have this backing cast onto them in the same mold, so they are all exactly of a size on their backing side. This, it will be seen, makes a perfect system of duplication. It makes very easy the standardization of bearings. They can readily be manufactured in standard or stock sizes, and the advantage of this is not only that I secure perfect interchangeability, but that a multip icity of bearings may be used together and there will be a practical distribution of the load over each of the units of such a series; By such amultiplication of units it is entirely practicable to carry loads of any weight. 1 v

In Figs. 5 and 6 I show a bearing where the cleft 10 in the steel body of the ring is through the center of the race groove'. In this con struction the steel. body of the ring is. in two separate pieces before they are bound together by the backing cast about them. In this case the method of inserting the balls is obvious. The raceway 3 is here formed by bevels onthe inner edges of the two halvesof the outer, ring 11 and 12. When I grind these bevels, I leave them just a little small, so that when the two halves are put together with the balls in place. they will not quite touch each other, as shown in Fig. 6. They touch the balls instead of each other, thus again getting an exact fit, and, again, when they are in position in perfect fit the soft-metal backing 6 1s cast onto the outer ring-in this instance a double ringand the fit is? made.

permanent and the ring is made a single solid ring. I-have practically the same bearing as in the other. case where the cleft is transversely through the bar of the ring. The functionsperformed by. the .cast.on bacln'ng are the same in both cases, it seals, or binds together, at 101111; or cleft, making permanent. and se cure the fit obtained by means of that cleft,

and it conforms to a predetermined size on the outside, thus making successive bearin s exact duplicates, exactly alike in internal fit and in general dimensions. The outer edges of the half-rings 11 and 12 are rabbeted,that the backing 6 may clench or clamp them securely together.

In addition to the grooves 7 7, cut in the steel body of the rings to hold the backing 6 more securely in lace, there may be holes 13 13, drilled near t e cleft to afford further anchora e for the backing. I This is especially. desirable in the inner ring. It will prevent the cleft inner ring from springing away from the. backing. Another advantage to this that cannot be done to hardened steeland the backing to the outer ring can be turned ofi to alter the. size, if desired. The lining to the inner ring-performs one function that the outside backing does not ordinarily perform.

It serves to protect the journal from the abrasive action of the hard-steel ring, which under the vibration that is unavoidable under heavy service is oftentimes quite severe. A lining of Babbitt or bronze or some suitable non-abrasive metal will effectually prevent this oftentimes very troublesome djjficulty. A further advantage to this soft-metal backing is that it performs to some degree the functions of a cushion. It does not, of course, have the feature of elasticity. There is no spring to it. I am aware that cushions of elasticmaterial have been used around the race-rings of bearings to absorb jar. I do not claim any such function for this backing'i But in case of very excessive load being placed upon the bearing this soft-metal backing will yield slightly at any point where the strain is unduly severe, so as to relieve the undue strain and prevent breaka e. It acts thus as. a distributor of strains. It will yield before the strain reaches the breaking-point in any part of the bearing, and so in cases of emergency it'acts as a safety-cushion, and in this it is but further carryin out its main function of securing a fit. ,hen the backing is applied to the rings, it is applied in a molten 01" fluid state, securing for itself a per foot fit in this way. If under exceptional strain there is a yielding of this soft metal,

that is in reality merely a further flowing of the metal to accommodate itself still further to its osition or environment to secure, if

upon It) it is not essential to the purpose of said .of said rings having a parting or cleft, and a .tin to a given size of shaft or journal.

etween the outer and inner rings on each side of the balls'are theball-spacers 14. On the inner faces of these spacers are the sockets 15. These sockets are spaced a little farther apart than the'diameter of the balls, so that when the balls are seated therein'they will not quite touch each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4; Thus these spacers in keeping the balls from touching eachv other prevent.

cross-friction, of chafing, between the balls. It will be observed that the spacers engage the balls at their axial or pivotal points. The axes of rotation of the balls in this style of bearin are parallel with the axis of rotation of the earing itself. The ball-axis is shown by the line as :r in Figs. 2 and 4.

The advantages of holding the balls by the s acers .at their axial, or pivotal points are that they are held obviously with the least possible friction and that the spacers or separators, do not come between the balls, thus encroaching on the space of the balls themselves. The full complement of balls can be used, only the slightest separation being necessary-to avoid contact and friction between the balls. There is .no sacrifice of the capacity of the bearing tothe spacer.

The spacers 14 are held againstthe'balls, on opposite sides thereof, by wire binders 16 or other suitable means, which bind the spacersto each other, with the balls inbe-' tween, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. A These spacers are preferably made in sections'or segments, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7, though they may be made as rings, as shown in Fig. 5. In the latter case the rings are preferably cleft, as SllOWll, 17, that there may bea little spring to the acers to insure perfect fit or adaptation of t 'e spacers to the diameter of the race or set of balls. In fact, the spacers made up of segments, asshown in big. 1,

ma be re arded as made up of rings mu tiple cIefts.

I claim'as new- I l 1. In a ball-bearing, an outer race-ring having an internal groove, an inner race-ring having an external groove, balls running in ooves in between said race-rings, one

having bond of fusible metal cast-onto said partedring concentric with the race thereof.

2. In a ball-bearing an outer race-ring with an internal groove, an inner race-ring with an'external groove, balls running in said grooves in between said race-rings, one of said rings being a spring-ringto admit said balls, and a bond of fusible metal cast onto said spring-ring concentric with the race thereof.

3. In a ball-bearing, an outer race-ring internally grooved, -an inner race-ring externally grooved, both of said race-rings having a backing of soft metal concentric with the race-thereof.

' 4. Ina ball-bearing, an inner race-ring,.a

cleft outer race-ring, balls between .said

rings, said cleft outer ring sprung to a fit against said intervenin balls, and a sealing backing of fusible meta cast upon said cleft ring'concentric with the race thereof.

5; In a race-ring for ball-bearings, the combination .of a hardened-steel ring having a raceway ground therein, said hardenedssteel ring having a parting or cleft for adjusting or fitting said raceway, and a backing of fusible metal cast onto said steel ring concentric with said raceway tobind together said parting and secure or make permanent said lit.

6. Ball-bearings consisting of inner and outer race-rings, with balls intervening, said outer-race-rings bein covered-or backed with cast-on soft metal mo (led to standard or stock sizes, for the purpose "specified.

7. A ball-bearingconsisting of an inner and an outer race-ring, with balls intervening, said outer race-ring being covered or backed with cast -on soft the desired size.

.8. In a race-ring for spring-ring having a raceway therein, the exball-bearings, a steel 7 metal machined to act diameter of said raceway bein obtained by springing said s ring-ring,- sai eiract diameter secured an made permanent by a backing of fusible metal cast onto said spring- I ring to (prevent further or subsequent springing, sai cast backing. being moldedto the size desired for the bearing. a 9. A journal race-ring for roller-bearings having a raceway in its outer face and a'linmg of non-abrasive material concentric therewith.

' 10. Aroller-bearing ring having a raceway in its outer face and a lining of soft and nonabrasive metal concentric with-said ring and permanently attached thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

FRIIDERIGK w. GURNEY. Witnesses:

- S. A. BALDWIN, A. W. KETTL 

